rockin86ranger

When I originally started this build I was going to do remote mount twins but since then I have gone with a 5.3 iron block out of 2002 truck. I am doing this is a junkyard DIY build showing what I can do with a small budget. This truck will be driven regularly but I want to make a good amount of power while remaining fairly reliable (I know the saying fast, cheap, reliable, pick two). What is a good amount of boost to run on a full stock bottom end that will last a reasonable amount of time, and what would be a good choice for turbos from a junkyard I am open to singles or twins. I have messed with factory turbos and light modding but I am new to full custom setups on stuff like this, I have been digging around online for ideas but all the numbers are just numbers to me (more of a na guy but working on going to the dark side, 86range getting a supercharger after this too). Also what is a good choice for a cam that will work well as I build the truck up over time. Eventual goal is around 800hp but for now I just want to see what I can do cheap.

I have a turbo off a 2.3 turbo coupe just laying around which I thought might be ok if I got a matching one to go with it. I also have a turbo off a 6.0l power stroke at the house but figure that might be a little big for the application and I don't know if I want to go through the trouble of figuring out a custom controller for the variable vane setup (I already have enough custom electronic work to do with everything else going in the truck)

Twin turbo c5

That turbo off the 2.3 will be to small for a 5.3 it'll work but alot of budget turbo's like on3 and the infamous gt45. That will work great for around 300 bucks. If your money is tight run the stock cam for now and later maybe talk to one the guys like Martin or Lil Jon for a custom cam. And do your homework and study denmah's builds good info and lots of power on the cheap . Or even my build thread I used a bone stock 6.0 with a hand me down 80mm from a friend and a piece together harness and micro squirt efi. And a shitty hot side outta a old y pipe from a chevy truck. It can be done cheap just be smart about your purchases .

HexenLord

The powerstroke turbo would work okay for low boost, but you probably won't get much above 500 HP with it. That turbo isn't too big, its actually pretty small.

As said above, On3 or CX/VS GT45. Both are good for ~800 at the flywheel and are cheap. The On3 is a little less than $350 and the GT45 can be found for a little less than $300. The On3 has a bigger compressor wheel but is overall physically smaller if fitment is going to be an issue.

rockin86ranger

Wel I looked and looks like I can get an ebay gt45 for about $220-250, I am going to keep my eyes peeled for one used locally (that way I can try to barter my way into it, not a fan of spending money if I can get it some other way).

That being said I am still taking suggestions on turbos and good cars to find them on

HRHohio

Where are you located? I have one in a box. Have been undecided on whether or not I want to use it or not. May save you a few bucks. (But not giving it away, haha) Lemme know.

HRHohio

Hmmm Arkansas, huh. Would have to ship it. Unless you want to come to Vegas and pick it up. Good times!

rockin86ranger

Lol think the trip would kill the price for me and this is going to have to wait until tax time before I start or possibly summer depending on how busy I get this semester (college is expensive and Time consuming) but what kind of price we talking shipping probably wouldn't be terrible. I just did some reading on the ebay gt45 and found out they have a smaller turbine just in a big housing, now I know to keep an eye for that, but just how big of downfall is that (obviously I would prefer a true Garrett but if I get a great price on a ebay one is it worth passing up). Also are these like the t3/4 hybrids that pretty well need to be rebuilt before install to be worth a crap?

I appreciate all the info, this is new territory for me (I usually play with na stuff and bigger diesels) anything anyone feels like I should know I am a sponge just waiting to some it in.

HexenLord

They are small wheel big housing turbos but you probably won't even be able to tell. They spool reasonably well and make good power for their wheel size.

Don't worry about them. Buy it and put it on. Run the hell out of it.

cruisin'73

iTrader: (8)

Hey Ranger, I am digging the budget/junkyard build, that is how I did my carb'd 5.3 swap into my Nova! So don't mistakenly think that I am one of the "Dont even THINK turbo unless you can drop $15K!" arseholes.

But i have to say, if you are hesitant to spend $250 for the centerpiece of a turbo conversion, maybe you need to do a little more resarch into the cost of a project like this. From my readings on the FI forum, I would estimate a min cost of $2k for a JY build. Just my recommendation. I'd hate to see a cool LS-powered ranger condemned to the island of misfit toys because you jump into a project without a realistic budget, and cannot afford to finish it.

Sorry to be a downer...and on a FRIDAY! man I am a ****!

enigmah

iTrader: (1)

No you're right, if you cant afford a cheap knockoff Chinese turbo.. right now putting a turbo on your car isn't for you. Your best bet is to put money aside and save for a couple of months and then see where your at. Minimum for a junkyard turbo kit is at least 2k all the small needed parts add up quickly as me how i know. ( currently doing a JY 5.3 turbo build ) and it was a little more than I expected and im doing ALL the work myself.

HRHohio

Ha. No worries. The one I got from DNA Motoring was $263 shipped. Not sure if I want to use it, or go twins, or go BIG SINGLE. Would only try to recoup most of what I paid. I could send it back for 20% restocking fee if worse comes to worse, or sell it locally. Off the top of my head, I'd want about $225+Shipping.

I agree with what these guys say though. It'll be at least $3k for a budget build turbo setup. That's with injectors, fuel pumps, wiring, tubing, hotside, wideband, boost controller, meth injection if you do that, intercooler, etc. It all adds up. Ya gotta pay to play.

rockin86ranger

Wow didn't realize how long this was, I got to rambling a little lol but it gives you the background on two trucks and a little about me. Keep the turbo info rolling though I will never turn down information because the more you know the better you can do something (and the cheaper)

It's not that I can't spend the money i am just the kind of the person that until I have to have it I won't buy it because I am always shopping for a better deal. My goal for everything I do is to do it as cheap as possible while not sacrificing very much reliability. And in that same post you should have noticed I asked if I a cheap ebay one was fine or if I should keep an eye out for a true Garrett that should show I am not planning to cheap out on the important parts.

Also just as a clarification rockin86ranger is my generic user name for all forums i got it when I got my first truck an 86 ranger it is a bare bone no power anything truck with a 4cyl I sold it bought it back drove it for awhile then tore I to rebuilt the 2.3 that was in it. Now it is getting a supercharger from a scion put on it (it was free because scion doesn't charge cores for super chargers pare toy and when a bearing failed under warranty they had to replace the whole unit because the bearing isn't available through scion, but is elsewhere). After the motor is dialed in and all the bugs worked out the plan is to put it in a courier that I am going to build for mom and dad's anniversary since dad had a courier when they met. The ranger will then get a either a factory Perkins diesel swap, a nissan diesel swap because the motor and trans is free if I pull it, a 4.6l ohc, or I have a flathead laying around out of a 49 for that might make its way in.

The truck the 5.3 is going in is a 1990 silverado that I currently have $215 and after selling the other parts I don't need should have profit from the truck before the motor swap which I will only have about $500-600 in the motor swap (counting the little stuff) when all is said and done and that includes a rebuild 4l80e. As far as the small turbo parts go I should be good because my brother messes around with the imports quite a bit and always seems to buy more stuff than he needs so I will get decent prices from him on stuff he has laying around. I will be doing 100% of the fabrication myself and using supplies from work and will have very little in materials perks of working where I do I free metal scraps and parts (plus I have some tubing from a 6.0l power stroke that might get reused, also free from a dealership) and access to a welder and shop to use whenever I am not busy (they actually encourage us to work on our own stuff if we have nothing going on so people think we are actually working lol).

I appreciate your info and opinions and since you don't know me I understand where you are coming from, but I am one that can always do it a little better for a little less money a lot of my friends still have no idea how I can do so much for so little. I guess when you grow up a poor country boy in a mechanic and towing shop and various dealerships you learn to work with what you have and little tricks to being thrifty and make connections to getting what you need for cheap or as little as cleaning up the "trash" laying around. Plus I always do work for others for free so if they have something I need and they don't I usually here you can either have it or if you straighten that bedside for me or get this running it's yours (meaning I just have my time into stuff which I don't count as anything because I would probably have helped for free just give me something to do)

gnx7

iTrader: (28)

don't forget to factor in tuning costs and injectors. That may blow your wad right there.

rockin86ranger

Tuning isn't going to be to bad I have some people I can work with there. Injectors are one of the big ones but i have already looked into that. Just curious how far will these injectors go, I have a set from an 03 avalanche and a set from an 02? Silverado both 5.3. I would like to start off with a system that would work ok with the factory setup and then allow me to grow as I upgrade. Figure if I get a decent turbo and piping setup, and inter cooler, and get everything else set up I can keep the boost down until I get the injectors (which might be doable when I get my w2s in I am just waiting to see). When I do injectors I also plan to do a better cam and a little port and polish work on the heads.

HexenLord

Stock injectors aren't going to do it. You might be able to get a couple of pounds of boost before they max out.

Plan on spending around $300 bucks for a set of injectors. You can probably score some used 60 or 80 lb injectors for $200-250. The 60s will hit your goals, the 80s will give you wiggle room.

Unless you plan on doing the headwork yourself, save your money. Even the stock cam should get you some decent power.

rockin86ranger

All work will be done my except computer tuning, deffinately going with the 80lb injectors because I know eventually I will want more power than what I have. Another question I meant to ask originally is I know a lot of people ditch the maf when they go turbo, I always thought it would make more sense to have something that can constantly monitor the incoming air. I know a lot of people just run speed density but what exactly is the downfall of the maf on a turbo motor, just can't handle the added air flow?

So I planning on all the piping, inter cooler, BOV, turbo, injectors, tuning, boost controller, oil feed, upgraded fuel pump. Anything else I am missing?

HexenLord

(This answer isn't necessarily related to GM MAF systems, but...) Some MAF based systems (GMs are particularly bad) have issues with elevation and temperature changes. These get magnified with boost. Also, some ECUs are setup to only read a certain voltage range. Once you go above this range as far as airflow goes, the MAF will not output anymore voltage and the tune won't compensate and add extra fuel.

It is possible to go both MAF and speed density using a MAP sensor to read manifold pressure. Some of the newer cars don't use VE tables in the stock ECU anymore so they have to deal with the MAF or go aftermarket ECU. Most aftermarket ECUs only use a VE table for tuning (speed density), and don't support MAF tuning.

Speed density is fairly simple to deal with. It doesn't require you to run a restrictive MAF, which is something you might have to worry about upgrading or relocating in the future.


You forgot wastegate on that list, and possibly fuel pressure regulator.

rockin86ranger

Knew when I was typing that list I was forgetting something but couldn't get it to pop into my head.

Thanks for the explanation, on na build pretty much everyone goes to maf to eliminate the speed density setup and I knew some people went the other way for boost.

I know I will have more questions later but I really appreciate everyone chiming in and giving me great answers. That being said if there is something anybody thinks I might be over looking or that would be helpful to know please share, this is not my only boosted build in the works I have this, a supercharged 2.3 ranger, and a sleeper 4door foxbody cougar with a nasty turbo 5.3 and a little giggle gas (just waiting on my buddy to let go of it, it will be a fully build drag car/sleeper), also have plans for an ls swap in a 86 c30 crew cab but it will probably stay na (unless I get the itch to blow more money lol). And I still have a 56 ford Fairlane to do a full frame and drivetrain swap with a newer crown vic (always have to have something to do)

rockin86ranger

I am still keeping an eye out for a gt45 but a buddy of mine has this laying around. As far as I can figure its a Garrett m24 (think it has a 75mm inducer? Just judging by what I found with the numbers but could be anything I guess) I was looking and couldn't find much but found one similar but they say it's maxed out at about 3000rpms and doesn't do much more than 13psi. Is there any way I can build it to work, changing the turbine or swapping housings around. It's sitting on a motor they pulled out of a bus in a scrap metal pile so if I can use it then it's mine for next to nothing I figure, but if I can't feasibly do something with it I don't want to take it just to take it.

Once again I understand this is the core of this project and I am not going to cheap out on it but if I can make a cheaper alternative work just as well why wouldn't I.

SSZ

What is that on? A detroit diesel?